Backpacking in Mexico
I hadn’t initially factored Mexico into this trip, aside from flying in and out of Cancun. Due to its vast size, one could easily spend months exploring Mexico alone. It is also slightly more expensive that its smaller neighbours. For those reasons, I had decided my three months in Central America would be best spent exploring elsewhere. After my change in plans, though, I had two weeks to get a taste for Mexico.
Oaxaca
Wandering the streets of Oaxaca City didn’t feel dissimilar to wandering a European city, due to the style of the architecture here. Yet it remained distinctly Mexican, particularly in the evenings, because of the street markets for food and clothing, combined with both live music, and speakers blaring music, that were enjoyed by dancing locals.
Mexican mountains
I didn’t hire a car at any point on this trip, and so relied on public transport or group tours to get around. I joined a tour from Oaxaca which first took me to the nearby Unesco World Heritage Site of Monte Albán – the capital of the Zapotec civilisation. The ruins are well-preserved and stand impressively elevated above a mountainous region, providing panoramic views of the surrounding area.
The tour took us further into the mountains, to Hierve el Agua, a natural rock formation on a cliff edge that creates a remarkable impression of a waterfall. Walking around this area was my only real taste of the Mexican wilderness. The hills and mountains, covered in forests and bush, stretched to the horizon – highlighting the vastness of this country, plus the potential for future exploration.
Mexico City
From Oaxaca I made for Mexico City. Approaching the capital made me appreciate another aspect of Mexico – the size of its population. Including the urban area around Mexico City alone has over 20 million people. I saw countless homes built over miles and miles around it. Shockingly, but not unsurprisingly, Mexico City is slowly sinking into the ground; this is having a noticeable effect on the buildings there and causing considerable structural problems.
I joined a tour within the city to visit the hugely popular Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe. The central square, Zocalo – once the centre of the Aztec city of Tenochtitlan – is a large open space bordered by impressive architecture such as the metropolitan cathedral and national palace.
I found the city fascinating, even if I wasn’t enamoured with it, which is as much down to my preference for the quieter life over busy cities – so, it’s nothing personal, Mexico! It is hot, busy, and full of traffic. The queues for the metro were the most competitive I have ever seen, and they have thoughtfully created separate zones for women and children to board the subway. If you can cope, there is plenty to do and see here.
Teotihuacan
Another tour took me outside the city to a must-see exhibit of pre-colonial history – Teotihuacan – a remarkable creation that is almost 2,000 years old. There are two spectacular pyramids – the sun and the moon – both stand impressively over the grounds on which they are built. The design of the city, with two large temples opposing each other on either side of a long flat stretch between them – known cheerfully as the Avenue of the Dead – creates a dramatic sight when standing atop either pyramid.
Our tour guide helped bring the history of the city to life, with stories describing the culture of the inhabitants at the time, and I would highly recommend taking one if you visit. Atop the pyramids, you can see for miles around, truly appreciating the grandiosity of the structures in relation to the terrain. The age and condition of the pyramids is just as remarkable.
My final week – without photos
I made an amateur mistake after I returned to the UK. When uploading photos from my trip, from my USB drive to my hard drive, I inexplicably deleted the photos before transferring them. I still remember the moment I realised what I’d done to this day. It might be partly why I no longer delete photos from the original source. Instead, I create backups, and leave the original storage untouched. Therefore, I don’t have trips of my final week in Mexico.
That said, as I mentioned in Nicaragua, experiences you don’t photograph can be the most visually engrained in your memory. My days in Playa del Carmen and Tulum remain robustly in my mind. Granted, that may not make it as appealing on website that is supposed to advertise these moments. I’ll do my best to describe the time, regardless.
Snorkelling with turtles
This was another unexpected yet unforgettable excursion. I took a group tour that included a trip to Akumal Beach, which has a protected area for the turtles to lay eggs, when in season. My half hour in the water, coming close to these giants calmly gliding through the sea, blew my mind.
Also included was a guided exploration of the cenotes around Tulum. The caves are magical formations, filled with water, but largely hidden from sunlight. We were taken to swim around in the cold water, through the dark tunnels, and out. Anyone who is claustrophobic might struggle here.
A downside is the large crowds that come here, and the noise they bring. You could be forgiven for being disappointed if you were expecting a tranquil oasis, if you had seen the advertising material suggesting you could be alone in these caves, floating peacefully in the water. That is a far cry from the reality.
On the beach
My last stop before flying from Cancun was the popular resort town of Playa del Carmen. A smaller, low-key alternative to Cancun, but still packed full of bars and parties. In the previous few years, my social life in my hometown and at university regularly featured alcohol-fuelled nights out. Strangely, on this trip, I seldom had the urge to indulge. I was content swimming in the warm sea and attempting a run along the beach. After three months primarily walking and sitting or standing on buses, my cardiovascular fitness had decreased, and the run was unusually tough.
My lasting memory was discovering the ruins of the temple nearby. Bordered by green foliage, the small ruins had been conquered by invaders – iguanas. Dozens of them were climbing over and around the site, creating a scene of an apocalypse where lizards had survived to rule. The largest lizards looked intimidating, but even they left us tourists alone, so far as we were given them a wide berth while traipsing through their adopted home.
The end
And so came the end of my three-month exploits around this relatively small, narrow strip of land around the southern tip of North America. In exploring this small region, dwarfed by the countries to the north, and South America below, I concluded that these groups of countries were home to spectacular natural beauty, fascinating history, and boundless opportunities for the adventurous explorer. I’m proud to have made the trip, and grateful it is part of my development as a traveller, and as a person.